Water Management on Native Reserves

1. Water Management on Native Reserves Jude Johnson Science 4 2009

2. Availability of Drinking Water in Canada • Canada has 7 percent of renewable fresh water in the world. • Less then half of the global water supply (about 9 percent)is considered renewable. • Most of it is fossil water reserved in lakes, underground aquifers, and glaciers. • More than half of Canada’s fresh water drains northward into the Arctic Ocean and Hudson Bay. • As a result 90 percent of the Canadian population who live within 300 km of the countries southern border do not have access to this north flowing fresh water.

3. Canadian Drinking Water Guidelines • Health Canada sets drinking water guidelines for all Canadians including First Nations communities • Guidelines are new or have been revised since the publication of the Sixth Edition of the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality in 1996. These new and revised guidelines are presented on the Canadian Drinking Water Guideline Web Site: • Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality - Summary Table

4. Drinking Water Contamination Contaminants occur at the : • Original water source • During treatment • During distribution

5. Source Of Water Contaminants • Surface water • Rivers & lakes • Acid Rain • Storm water run off • Pesticides • Industrial waste • Ground water • Wells & public water supplies • Pathogens • Run off land fills • Septic system • Disposal of hazardous household products • Agricultural chemicals • Underground storage tanks

6. Contaminants in Water • Microbial Pathogens • Produce disease. • Include bacteria, viruses and parasites • Introduced to the water through raw sewage and wells • Organics • Toxic chemicals and metals • Includes pesticides, solvents and gas additives • Inorganics • Toxic metals including arsenic, barium, lead, mercury and silver and also nitrates that comes from fertilizers • Radioactive elements • Radon is found in area`s that are uranium

7. Health Risks • Acute • Severe and sudden • Examples: nausea, lung irritation, skin rash, vomiting, dizziness and even death • Additional examples are swimmers itch and salmonella • Chronic • Occur after long term exposure • Examples: cancer, liver and kidney damage, nervous system disorders, damage to the immune system and birth defects

8. Economic Impact Costs associated with: • bottled drinking water • trucking household water • improving & maintaining water system • health care costs • relocating communities

9. Social Impact • Communities feel: • Threatened and afraid of using contaminated water • Isolated • Dependent on others to bring them water • Angry because water is contaminated • Depressed • Motivated to change water situation • Disenfranchised

10. Types of Problems • Lack of water • Pollution • Infrastructure/Maintenance • Lack of training • Water system management systems • Contaminated water • Funding shortages • Shortage of trained water operators & staff

11. Perception of Natives • Unsafe • Disenfranchised • Anger and resentment • Frustrated • Concerned • Safety • Responsibility • Funding • Need for more resources • Regulations (What regulations should be in effect and how they would be enforced?)

12. Who is Responsible? • The Provincial, territorial, federal and municipal governments are responsible for providing safe drinking water in all the communities. • Responsibility for drinking water monitoring and the boil water advisories on native reserves and Indian and Northern Affairs in Canada. • Responsible for the health issues with the water problems on Native Reserves is Health Canada.

13. History of Water Quality Problems on Reserves • Not enough money invested in water systems since early 1990`s • Poorly designed water plants • Sewage water seeking into water systems in late 1990`s • Water is poorly treated by water technicians since early 2000 • E.Coli was discovered in water samples October 14th 2005 • High chlorine levels were discovered in Kashechewan on October 12th 2006 • There are currently 85 high risk Boiling drinking water advisories as of 2007 • As of February 28th 2009, 109 first nation communities are still under boiling water advisory

14. New Policies and Programs • Upgrading and building water & wastewater facilities; • Water quality monitoring & compliance and reporting systems • Operation and maintenance programs • Operator and training certification programs • Water quality management procedures • First Nations public awareness campaign • Standards, protocols and policies

15. Case Study Kashechewan

16. Case Study Kashechewan • In 2005 the Kashechewan reserve had discovered E.coli in their water. • The Ontario Government had to evacuate about 1,100 residents from the reserve. • One year later, the natives were still being denied the right to clean drinking water. • There was at least one intake pipe was downstream of the reserves lagoon. • In November 20005, over 800 members of the first nation were evacuated after E.coli bacteria was discovered in their water supply system. • In April 2006 the community was evacuated due to flooding caused by natural causes.

17. Kaschewan Solutions • On November 9, 2006, A report by former member of Provincial Parliament, Alan Dope has recommended to solutions to the problems, including upgrading the current site, moving the community to a new site and moving the residents to Fort Albany • In early January 2007 21 young people attempted to commit suicide. • On July 30th 2007, the Government of Canada signed a memorandum agreement understanding the with the first nation, giving the Kaschecewan reserve a grant of 200 million to improve the infrastructure, housing and flood control services in the community

18. Situation in Chapel Island

19. Situation in Chapel Island • The Situation in Chapel Island is very similar to the problems on most Native Reserves. • The community has had a serious water problem for over 30 years. • The Reserve was only supplying half of the reserve and the rest of the people had their own wells. • The water was running on a small four inch cast iron pipe, The main pump was located in the basement of an old school. • There was no one that worked full time to ensure good water to the community.

20. Chapel Island Solutions • Now they have a well produced water system on the reserve and a full time water operator (Norman Isacc) • Improvements were made around the same time the new water system was installed • The water tower cost $575,000, with water improvements totaling $1.3 million • Waste water management on the reserve is handled by Alec Marshall

21. Conclusion • Natives have rights to have fresh drinking water like everyone else. • Clean water is the responsibility of government and all citizens • Some reserves do have good drinking water but, many others still need a lot of improvements

22. References • Guidelines for Canadian Water Quality Summary Table. (2008, May). Retrieved April 15, 2009, from Health Canada: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/pubs/water-eau/sum_guide-res_recom/revised-revisees-eng.php#tbl1 • Kashechewan First Nation. (2009, March 27). Retrieved May 8, 2009, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashechewan_First_Nation • Members, B. (2009, January 13). Water System for Chapel Island. (K. Johnson, Interviewer) • Potlotek. (2004). Retrieved April 12, 2009, from Chapel Island First Nation: http://potlotek.ca/cifn/main.html • Health Effects of Drinking Water (1996, March). retrieved May 10, 2009, from http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/programs/extension/publicat/wqwm/he393.html